John E. Bradley

Significant portions of state government could shut down soon because state legislators and Gov. Bruce Rauner haven't come to agreement on a budget. State workers could have their hours slashed or be laid off. The parties are far from agreement, as the governor rightly pushes back against House Speaker Michael Madigan's unbalanced and unconstitutional budget. Remarkably, while workers face layoffs, state legislators won't feel the pinch, thanks to a bill passed last year. It classifies legislator pay as a continuing appropriation — a budget item that state law mandates be funded even in the event of a government shutdown. The bill puts compensating part-time...